Tesla Energy, Brookfield, & Dacra Are Developing A Large-Scale Sustainable Neighborhood In Austin, Texas
Tesla Energy, Brookfield Asset Management, and Dacra are teaming up to create SunHouse at Easton Park, Brookfield announced. This is the first Tesla Solar neighborhood and will be the nation’s most sustainable residential community, according to the companies. Brookfield and Dacra are combining their real estate experience with Tesla Energy’s products and wisdom to create a unique neighborhood that I think could be the first of many more to come.
Brookfield noted that Tesla’s V3 solar roof tiles and Powerwall 2 battery storage system will be installed in phases at homes in the SunHouse community that will be developed on land in Brookfield Residential’s Easton Park. The first phase of installation started last month with a sampling of homes under construction.
These installations will provide insight and information on product integration and will guide the installation at the next phase. The master-planned community of homes will be the final phase of the process. The goal is to establish an energy-neutral, sustainable community and a model for the design and construction of sustainable large-scale housing projects around the world.
Tesla Solar will provide ongoing oversight of the homes’ energy systems. Brookfield’s renewable power business will integrate a community-wide solar program that will serve broader public use needs and those of surrounding neighborhoods. Brookfield Residential noted that it will also incorporate a suite of technology features that include EV charging stations in each home and throughout the community.
Residents of these new homes will most likely produce enough energy to supply their daily needs while reducing daily demand on the electric grid. They will be provided with backup storage in the event of a power outage and may possibly be compensated for returning power to the energy grid.
Statements From The CEOs
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, said:
“Neighborhood solar installations across all housing types will reshape how people live. Brookfield and Dacra’s commitment to stay at the vanguard of that evolution is what makes them the right collaborator for Tesla Energy. The feedback we get from the solar and battery products used in this community will impact how we develop and launch new products.”
Brian Kingston, the CEO of Brookfield’s real estate business, shared how this would help Brookfield meet the demand for environmentally responsible communities of the future.
“This initiative brings together multiple parts of our organization with innovative and forward-thinking partners that share a commitment to advance the development of sustainable communities.
“As consumers increasingly seek out energy security alongside sustainable places to live, combining Tesla’s solar technology together with Brookfield’s real estate and renewables development capabilities will help us meet demand for environmentally responsible communities of the future.”
Craig Robins, CEO of Dacra, spoke of the overall goal that’s the best for everyone:
“Our goal is to establish that fully-sustainable neighborhoods are not only viable, but the best practical and economical choice.
“Together with Brookfield and Tesla, we are trying to change the world by creating technology-driven, energy independent communities that make the world a better place.”
The City of Austin and Travis County have both committed to sustainable development. Brookfield stated that it will work with Dacra and Tesla “over the next year to incorporate additional transportation, technology, and energy solutions to create this new paradigm for residential community development.”
“The City of Austin is excited for the arrival of these affordable options to housing powered by renewable energy,” Mayor Steve Adler of Austin said. “I am excited for the Tesla, Brookfield, and Dacra partnership’s approach to sustainable energy and housing as an example of the out-of-box thinking that continues to make our community a beacon of innovation for the rest of the country and world.”
This is exciting and I think it can be a blueprint for all housing types, whether for those who are buying homes or developers who rent out apartments. I really think that this could also benefit low-income housing as well. However, there will be several challenges in this regard. To me, owning a home is a luxury, and sadly, many others are in the same boat.
MarketWatch reported that many who buy houses are using their portfolios to do so — not their salaries. The article noted that the housing market is increasingly unequal and that it could be accompanying a K-shaped recovery from the Covid-induced downturn. Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin, touched upon how the pandemic widened the gap between those who have and those who don’t. “When I started in this business, there was a broad consensus around making the American dream accessible to middle- and lower-income people. After this year I now see housing as a luxury good.”
I’ve also seen numerous posts on TikTok from both Millennials and Gen Z-ers saying that owning a home is no longer the American dream, but a luxury for very few. And the idea of owning a smart home or a clean energy home is even more of a luxury.
Tesla can change this — and most likely will in the coming decade. I think that once these initial homes in the SunHouse community are all bought and functioning, all three of the companies can plan the next one, and as with Tesla’s Master Plan that Elon shared ages ago, this can transform from luxury to a product that more people will eventually be able to afford.
It’s a great start and I’m excited to see how Tesla can revolutionize the housing industry as it has done with the automotive, energy, and others.
![Genesis GV90 leaks as breathtaking ultra-luxe SUV with coach doors [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/11/Genesis-GV90-leak-coach-doors.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Genesis is gearing up to launch the stunning new flagship SUV. Ahead of its official debut, the GV90 leaked during an internal presentation, revealing our first look at the ultra-luxe electric SUV.
Genesis GV90 leak reveals coach doors and more
The GV90 is arriving as the largest, most luxurious Genesis SUV to date. Based on the Neolun Concept, the new flagship SUV will sit above the GV80 as Genesis expands into new segments.
As Genesis calls it, the “ultra-luxe, state-of-the-art SUV” stole the spotlight at the New York Auto Show last March.
It wasn’t the stunning, reductive design inspired by Korea’s moon-shaped porcelain jars or the premium Royal Indigo and Purple silk materials that caught most people’s attention at the event, but the B-pillarless coach doors.
The SUV was showcased with Rolls-Royce-like coach doors, offering a new level of luxury for Genesis. Although we’ve seen the GV90 spotted out in public testing a few times now with coach doors, we wondered if they would make it to the production model.
After the full-size SUV reportedly leaked during an internal presentation, it looks like we’ve found our answer. The Genesis GV90 leak reveals two versions: a standard model and a coach-door model.
The leaked images from our friends at ShortsCar offer our first look at the production version in full. Earlier this month, a GV90 prototype was spotted out in public with the coach doors wide open, providing a sneak peek of the interior.
From what was shown, the cabin will feature a similar layout to the concept, with high-end purple and indigo materials. The GV90 was also caught with an all-black interior, which is expected to be the standard version.
A new video from the folks over at HealerTV offers a closer look at the breathtaking interior ahead of its official debut.
The GV90 appears to retain the gear selector located near the top of the steering wheel from the Neolun concept.
Another report, from TheKoreanCarBlog, confirms the new gear selector after the first interior spy shots surfaced.
From what we’ve seen so far, the GV90 is shaping up to be a near replica of the ultra-luxe Neolun concept. Genesis has yet to announce a launch date for the GV90, but it is expected to make an official debut by the end of the year with sales starting in mid-2026.
Prices and final specs, like driving range, will be revealed closer to launch, but the Genesis GV90 is rumoured to be the first vehicle to ride on Hyundai’s new eM platform.
Hyundai said the new platform will deliver a 50% improvement in range compared to its current E-GMP-based EVs, such as the IONIQ 5. It’s also expected to offer Level 3 autonomous driving as well as other advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features.
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Turning cheap daytime solar into electricity you can actually use at night just got a lot cheaper. A new analysis from energy think tank Ember shows that utility-scale battery storage costs have fallen to $65 per megawatt-hour (MWh) as of October 2025 in markets outside China and the US. At that level, pairing solar with batteries to deliver power when it’s needed is now economically viable.
Battery storage costs have fallen dramatically over the past two years, and the decline continues. Following a steep decline in 2024, Ember’s analysis indicates that prices continued to fall sharply again in 2025.
The findings are based on real-world data from recent battery and solar-plus-storage auctions in Italy, Saudi Arabia, and India, as well as interviews with active developers across global markets.
According to Ember, the cost of a whole, grid-connected utility-scale battery storage system for long-duration projects (four hours or more) is now about $125 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) as of October 2025. That figure applies to projects outside China and the US. Core battery equipment delivered from China costs around $75/kWh, while installation and grid connection typically add another $50/kWh.
Those lower upfront costs have pushed down the levelized cost of storage (LCOS) to just $65/MWh. Ember’s calculation reflects real-world assumptions around financing costs, system lifetime, efficiency, and battery degradation.
Cheaper hardware isn’t the only reason storage costs are falling. Longer battery lifetimes, higher efficiencies, and lower financing costs, helped by clearer revenue models such as auctions, have all contributed to the sharp drop in LCOS. Ember has published a live calculator alongside the report, allowing users to estimate LCOS using their own assumptions.
Why this matters comes down to how solar is actually used. Most solar power is generated during the day, so only a portion needs to be stored to make it dispatchable. Ember estimates that if half of daytime solar generation is shifted to nighttime, the $65/MWh storage cost adds about $33/MWh to the cost of solar electricity.
With the global average price of solar at $43/MWh in 2024, adding storage would bring the total cost to about $76/MWh, delivering power in a way that better matches real demand.
As Ember global electricity analyst Kostantsa Rangelova put it, after a 40% drop in battery equipment costs in 2024, the industry is now on track for another major fall in 2025. The economics of battery storage, she said, are “unrecognizable,” and the industry is still adjusting to this new reality.
“Solar is no longer just cheap daytime electricity; now it’s anytime dispatchable electricity. This is a game-changer for countries with fast-growing demand and strong solar resources,” Rangelova added.
Together, solar and battery storage are increasingly emerging as a scalable, secure, and affordable foundation for future power systems.
Read more: EIA: Solar + storage soar as fossil fuels stall through September 2025
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss a very telling Tesla Optimus fail, Rivian’s AI/Autonomy day, Mercedes GLB EV, and more.
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